How to Choose the Best Meditation Teacher Training

How to Choose the Best Meditation Teacher Training

If you're looking for a program to become certified as a meditation teacher, you are probably discovering that you have many, many options available.  It can become overwhelming and confusing as you begin to sort through the many programs that are available online. The many different meditation teacher training programs online have many different names and offer many different certifications (or lack thereof) at the end.

What Meditation Certification Do You Want?

First you must decide what, if any, meditation certification you want to earn from completion of your meditation teacher training program.  Some online meditation certification programs simply offer a "certificate of completion" that says that you completed their course.  Other meditation programs have been through a more vigorous process to gain meditation school credentials.  These programs may allow you to register with Meditation Alliance International or to gain continuing education hours with Yoga Alliance or World Yoga Federation.  

The most prestigious meditation teacher programs are registered with Meditation Alliance.  These programs are 200 hour meditation teacher training programs, many are 200 hour meditation teacher training programs online, and they will offer you a CMT-200 credential (Certified Meditation Teacher - 200).  Once you complete these programs, you will be eligible to register with Meditation Alliance.  

While it's hard to know how to choose the best meditation teacher training program, it is important to weigh out your options.  If you do not care about registering with Meditation Alliance and you don't plan to teach meditation in any formal capacity, you may come out ok with a quick certificate course that offers simply a certificate of completion.  If you're just interested in learning a basic overview of meditation, this may be the right route for you.  Just be careful that you're taking the course from someone reputable.

Finally, if you're already a yoga teacher and you are hoping to use your meditation teacher training certification as a means for obtaining continuing education hours with Yoga Alliance or another yoga organization, you may be looking for a meditation teacher training that is a YACEP, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider.  At the very least, you may be looking for a Meditation School that is also a Yoga School so that you can ensure you are learning how to teach meditation in a way that is aligned with yoga philosophy.  

What Are the Benefits of Registering With Meditation Alliance?

When you're deciding how to choose the best meditation teacher training program for you, you will likely ponder whether or not it is important for you to register with Meditation Alliance and therefore whether or not it is important for you to choose a meditation teacher training program that is registered with Meditation Alliance.  I would say that whether or not Meditation Alliance should be an important consideration for you really depends on what you plan to do with your meditation teacher certification.

If you're not planning to teach meditation, you don't need to worry about Meditation Alliance.  If you are 100% sure you will never want to offer your own meditation teacher training program and certify others as meditation teachers, you definitely don't have to take Meditation Alliance into consideration.  However, if you plan to teach meditation in a formal capacity, or even an informal capacity, it is wise to search for a meditation teacher training program that is registered with Meditation Alliance.  And, if you think there is even a 1% chance that you may want to have your own meditation school one day, you absolutely must find a Meditation Alliance registered school.

Meditation Alliance is based in based in India.  Meditation Alliance was founded by Swami Vidyanand.   Meditation Alliance has an international presence with officers in New Zealand, France and Taiwan.  Meditation Alliance offers certifications for meditation teachers and for meditation schools.  In order to register with Meditation Alliance, you must have graduated from a school that is registered with Meditation Alliance.

How to Choose the Best Meditation Teacher Training Program Based on Instructor

Once you've decided what meditation certification you ultimately want when you complete your meditation certification program, you want to take a close look at the lead trainer for your meditation teacher training.   You want to ask yourself if the lead trainer's background resonates with you and if the lead trainer's approach to meditation is in line with your belief systems.  You may want to make sure that the program is not religious unless you are looking for a religious program.  Meditation is a practice and most meditation teacher training programs are not affiliated with any particular religion, but some are.

What Should You Expect From Your Meditation Teacher Training Program

In order to choose the best meditation teacher training program for you, you will need to find out what you can expect from the meditation teacher certification program that you choose.  You may want to consider asking the following questions:

• Will there be ongoing support for your meditation teacher training program?
• Will there be live meditation sessions for your meditation certification program?
• Will you meet or connect with other trainees throughout the meditation training process?
• Will the training be self-paced or will there be required log-ins?
• Will you be able to complete the entire training online, or will there be in person requirements?
• What assignments will you will be responsible for completing?
• What is the examination process for certification, if any?

Join Us In Our 200-Hour Meditation Teacher Training Program Online

You can join us in our meditation teacher training program online to get your 200 hour meditation teacher certification and get certified to teach meditation anywhere!  Our meditation teacher training is self-paced, 100% online, community-centered, includes optional live meditation sessions weekly and has no required log in times.